


The Curse of Powers

by CrimsonNight14



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arin Hanson Has Magical Powers, Arin Hanson is on the Run, Arin Hanson is the Only Survivor, Arin Hanson's Species Are Called Monsters, Arin Hanson's Village is Burned Down, Dan Avidan Tries to Be Nice, Dan Avidan is Good to His Wolves, Distrust, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fantasy, Gen, Healer Dan Avidan, Hope You Didn't See That Last Tag Early, Human Suzy Berhow, Hunter Brian Wecht, Hurt/Comfort, Long-Standing War, Lost in the Woods, Minor Survivor Guilt, No Romance, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pack Dynamics, Platonic Relationships, Shifter Dan Avidan, Telepathic Arin Hanson, War Between Shifters and Monsters, Werewolf Dan Avidan, Wolves, Wolves Are Great, background lore, budding friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonNight14/pseuds/CrimsonNight14
Summary: War raged between Shape Shifters and telepaths, who are called "Monsters" for their wicked deeds long ago. Both sides suffered great casualties over the centuries, but everything suddenly changed. On Arin Hanson's eighteenth birthday, the Shifters launched a brutal attack, killing everyone in the village of 300 Monsters.Arin, the only living member of his species now, quickly flees the place he had called home his entire life. He travels through the nearby woods, trying to survive his battle against the Shifters, nature, and even himself.As if his life wasn't already hell, things get much more complicated when Arin meets Dan Avidan, an annoyingly good-natured wolf Shifter who he would love nothing more to kill. Life seems to have other plans for them though.*This story does not include any romantic relationships. Please don't ship real people, especially when it makes them uncomfortable like Arin and Dan*
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 13





	1. Walking, Wandering, Aimless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! :) I am SO excited about this story, so I hope you all enjoy!!! :D

Arin's pov

Walking.

Wandering.

Aimless.

That’s how every day feels since the attack.

I’m just aimlessly searching for something I’ll never find in these fucking woods. 

Searching for something I lost.

Searching for someone I lost.

Searching for everyone I lost.

But, life goes on.

Fucking of course it does.

Sometimes entire villages are destroyed, killing hundreds of people.

I guess that just casually happens sometimes though.

Life goes on.

The many birds up high in the treetops continue singing their hearts out, oblivious to my turmoil.

Because their lives go on, regardless of the many that were lost days ago.

For nearly the thousandth time, I wonder why I’m the one who survived the attack.

What if someone else had gone out to get water for the village that day?

Would I be dead instead?

Probably.

Even though the guilt, anger, and grief are literally eating me alive, I can’t help but feel thankful to still be alive.

To be alive to make those fuckers pay.

Even if it gets me killed, if I ever see one of those Shifters who slaughtered my entire village, they're dead.

I’ve never killed someone before but, as they say, there’s a first time for everything.

Yeah, I think murder applies to that saying too, right?

With a heavy sigh, I look up to the sparkling green treetops, dully wondering when I got to be so fucking morbid.

I shouldn’t be so dark, especially since it really is a beautiful day. The sun shines through patches of the leaves, illuminating the dense foliage and browning leaves below. The sounds of tweeting and chirping birds follow me through each new part of the woods, like I have my own special choir to keep me company.

I can’t help but think that, if my entire world wasn’t crumbling around me, I would enjoy this leisurely stroll through the woods.

Instead, I’m fucking miserable, only here in the first place because I’m homeless now. I'm here in these damn woods because everything I once knew and loved was turned to ash and dust by those Shifters.

Fucking Shifters.

I'll kill them all for what they did to me.

For what they did to us.

After a few more minutes of walking, I come across a clearing in the thick cluster of trees, the sight of it simultaneously fills me with curiosity and dread.

What could be on the other side of these woods?

Is it a village?

If there are people, will they be friendly, or will they try to kill me too?

Even though I’m scared to see what lies on the other side of these woods, I continue walking, becoming desperate to find someone, anyone, after three days of soul-crushing loneliness.

I’d even take being ripped apart by a village of Shifters over dying alone in these fucking woods.

I would hate it, but, somehow, it sounds better than starving to death.

Damn, I’m so fucking hungry.

Spurred on by my love of food, I quickly approach the clearing.

Once I poke my head out from behind the trees, my breath leaves me in a rush, stolen by the beauty in front of me.

This clearing, which is circular-shaped, is surrounded by dense trees on all sides and absolutely magnificent. The majority of the ground is lush green grass, seeming to sparkle and shine from the morning dew. Off to the left side of the clearing rests a large, crystal-blue lake. The sun beats down on the water, making it glow and glisten as the wind casts small ripples in it.

That’s… one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

As I watch the lake from afar, a sense of calm begins to flow through me, helping to relieve some of the immense guilt and sadness I feel.

Everything might be shitty right now, but even I can admit when something is gorgeous.

As I continue staring at the clear water, my throat begins to feel insanely dry, my tongue scraping against my lips like sandpaper as I lick them in an attempt to moisten them.

Dammit.

I really want some of that water, but this clearing is horribly exposed. 

If someone has a pistol and wants to shoot me, there would be no way of hiding or stopping them.

I would be entirely exposed out there.

But... that water really looks so fucking good.

Ah, fuck it!

Unable to resist my biological needs with water so tantalizingly close, I tear my gaze away from the lake, my eyes darting around for any sign of someone.

After not seeing anyone, I quickly walk toward the lake, smiling at the feeling of the spongy grass beneath my feet, this grass thriving much better than the grass deeper in the woods, the exposure to the sunlight doing wonders for it.

And, after days spent hiding underneath the trees, I have to say that this direct sunlight is fucking amazing.

Once I reach the soft, deep brown soil beside the lake, I drop to my knees, carefully cupping my hands together and starting to drink the frigid water.

As the cool, tasteless liquid begins to dribble down my throat, I smile at the soothing feeling.

While gulping down the water with all the fervor of a dying man, I dully hope that I won’t get sick from this.

Throwing up later or contracting some type of worm disease would fucking suck.

My eyes slip shut in bliss as I continue drinking, only now realizing how thirsty I really have been.

Now that I think about it, it’s been nearly two days since I ran out of water, so no wonder why I needed this.

“Wow, someone’s thirsty,” I hear a female voice suddenly say, the sound of it scaring the absolute shit out of me.

Unsure what I should do, I just freeze in sheer panic, my breath getting caught in my throat as I hope that this woman doesn’t want to hurt me.

“Relax, I’m just getting water here too,” the female says with a sweet, melodic chuckle, the sound of it helps ease some of my worries.

While trying to stop the shaking of my hands, I continue staring at the water below, desperately hoping that she isn’t lying to me.

That she doesn’t want to hurt me.

“I’m Suzy,” the woman says in that same soft, sweet voice as I notice her hand move toward me out of the corner of my eyes. “What’s your name?”

For a few moments, I stay quiet, unable to find my voice through all my fear.

Finally, with a shaky inhale, I turn toward the woman, my breath once again getting caught in my throat, but for an entirely different reason.

Wow, she is so beautiful.

Her jet-black wavy hair falls down to her shoulders, framing her petite face. My eyes are immediately drawn to a streak of blonde in her hair, the detail to it both surprising me and making me feel jealous that my hair isn’t multiple colors like hers. Her dusty pink lips are turned upward in a kind smile that displays perfectly-aligned off-white teeth. Her hazel eyes watch me, filled with nothing but friendliness and curiosity as she once again reaches out her small, delicate hand for me to shake.

Feeling slightly more at ease now that I’ve seen Suzy’s kind smile and striking beauty, I reach out a hesitant hand for her to shake while quietly saying, “I’m Arin.”

“Hi, Arin,” Suzy says with a large, genuine smile as we stop shaking hands.

I am about to reply “hello” in return, but I notice Suzy wipe her hand that I shook on her khaki shorts. 

Immediately, I flush from embarrassment, realizing that I shook her hand while mine was soaking wet from the lake here.

Talk about bad first impressions.

This is so embarrassing!

How am I supposed to talk to her now?!

She probably thinks I’m a gross, sweaty mess.

And, I mean, maybe I am a little sweaty, but my hands would never be  _ that  _ wet.

After a few moments spent wallowing in my miserable embarrassment, I am pulled from my thoughts by Suzy asking in a quiet and curious tone, “You don’t talk a lot, huh?”

I barely choke back a bitter laugh, unable to ignore the irony of her words.

Back in my village, I was the loudest person there. Whether someone wanted to or not, they all knew who I was. I used to talk to everyone, at the very least to tell them “hello” or to ask “how are you?” The last three days though, I haven’t said a single word to anyone. 

I haven’t even seen anyone in three days.

It’s amazing how something like watching an entire village burn to the ground could make a person grow silent.

Who would've thought?!

Knowing that I should at least try to hold a conversation with Suzy, I whisper sadly, “Yeah, not really anymore. Something bad happened to me a few days ago, and I guess it’s just hard for me to talk, even about other things.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Suzy whispers the second I finish, genuine remorse and sadness in her voice. “If you want, I could leave you alone.”

“No!” I shout immediately, belatedly realizing how unnecessarily loud I was by Suzy’s surprised flinch.

With a frustrated sigh, I continue much quieter, “Sorry for being so loud. It’s just… You’re the first person I’ve seen in days.”

The moment Suzy gasps loudly, I realize I fucked up.

I shouldn’t have shared that much with her.

Holy shit, what if she figures out what I am now?

If she knows that I lived in the village the Shifters attacked, she'll try to kill me for sure.

No matter how nice Suzy seems, everyone hates my people because we can do things that they can’t.

Please, don’t figure it out.

I don’t want to die yet!

Hell, I barely even turned 18, this is way too early for me to die!

Suzy’s voice suddenly pulls me from my thoughts when she asks in a loud, horrified tone, “You’ve been out alone in these woods for days?!”

While nervously running my fingers through my matted and messy hair, I sheepishly lie in a mumble, “I wish it wasn’t true, but I have. I turned eighteen three days ago, and my parents kicked me out of the house. They wanted me to build my own life, but I think they might have ended it instead.”

At the end of my words, I bite my bottom lip to keep from sobbing, desperately wishing that was the truth. 

I wish that my parents just kicked me out when I turned eighteen three days ago.

In reality, they’re dead.

Everyone I’ve ever known is dead.

Fucking hell.

I can’t do this.

Fuck.

Fuck me.

Fuck this. 

Fuck everything. 

Unable to hold it in any longer, the first few silent tears begin to slip down my cheeks.

“That’s really shitty,” Suzy whispers as she places a tentative hand on my shoulder, her words helping me feel a little better.

Even if she has no clue what I’m actually going through, at least she's trying to empathize with me.

After a few minutes of sniffling with tears trailing down my cheeks, I force myself to calm down, knowing that I should only grieve properly once I am safe and alone.

It’s better to keep things hidden for now.

To make sure no one finds out who I am.

I release a shaky sigh, feeling a little better after that brief cry.

Suzy clears her throat as she takes her hand off my shoulder, suddenly seeming nervous.

I start to fidget slightly, becoming nervous as well, solely because I can see that she is nervous about something.

For a few moments, I nervously worry about what is making her nervous. As I think more about this predicament, the thought of what I’m doing makes me want to laugh bitterly.

This is so stupid.

But, even though I know I shouldn’t, I can’t stop worrying.

Finally, Suzy clears her throat again before hesitantly asking, “Hey, since you don’t have a home right now, would you like to come back to my village with me?”

For a few seconds, I just blankly stare at Suzy, extremely shocked that she would offer something so kind to me.

Most villages are wary of newcomers, so, for her to just offer that means one of two things. Maybe Suzy’s village is very accepting and welcoming of new people who want to join. Or maybe they are very hostile and that’s why Suzy was nervous about asking me.

Knowing that I can’t take the risk of her people hating me before they even know about my abilities, I politely decline, “Thank you, Suzy, but I can’t accept that. My parents wanted me to find my own way in life, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

With a small smirk, Suzy says, “That’s very admirable. Just, try not to die.”

Her words surprise me, causing me to laugh loudly.

The first time I have laughed or smiled in three days.

And damn, laughing again feels so good!

I should try to laugh more, even if it means looking insane because I am laughing at the fucking trees in this woods.

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t do that.

I might be shot by someone because they think I’m fucking crazy.

Which I’m definitely not.

Certainly not slipping toward insanity with each passing tree.

Nope, no fucking way that could be true.

After a few moments, Suzy laughs with me too, the sounds of our joy ringing throughout the clearing in the most beautiful of ways.

Damn, I could get used to the sweet, melodic sound of her laugh.

I almost call it all off and ask to join her at the village afterall, but I stop myself, knowing that I don’t want to die a fool's death.

I’d rather die in these woods by tripping on a fucking twig and snapping my head open than by falling in love with someone immeidately and regretting it.

If I’m going to die a stupid death, I better be the only one that caused it.

Ah, what am I even saying?

Can I just, like, not die?

That'd be cool too.

Much too soon, our laughter comes to an end, leaving me gasping for air and wiping tears of mirth from my eyes.

Even though I know what she said wasn’t even that funny, Suzy is in a similar state, holding tightly to her stomach with both hands, her muscles seeming to be in pain after laughing so much.

That was… really nice.

While still smiling, I playfully say, “Thanks, Suzy, but I make no promises. In fact, I think I’m going to look for an angry pack of wolves right now. I’ll tell you how it goes.”

“I’m sure I already know how that would go, you don’t need to go through the danger of testing it,” Suzy says with a cheeky smile as she playfully smacks my shoulder. 

While pretending to be reluctant, I release a heavy sigh, afterward saying in a whimsical tone, “Yeah, but think of how cute they would be as they start to rip the flesh from my bones, piece by piece.”

“That’s fucking gross,” Suzy says admamntly as her face scrunches in disgust, her words shocking me.

I release a bark of laughter at her language, having never met a girl my age before who curses so strongly.

Most of the girls I've met always act so prim and proper, even scolding me for cursing, so this… is a very nice change.

Once again, I contemplate going back to Suzy’s village.

It would be so nice to have a friend right now.

So fucking nice.

But… I just can’t take the risk of her people finding out what I am.

The people in her village would want me dead.

All of them.

Even Suzy.

At that thought, my laughter dies out immediately, leaving me feeling lonely and sad once again, wishing that I could just be  _ normal _ .

Why can’t I have friends, fall in love, and live a normal life without worrying that every single person wants to kill me?

Is that too much to ask for?

No longer feeling in a cheerful mood, I sigh heavily and reluctantly say, “It was really nice meeting you, Suzy, but I should probably head out again. I’m hoping to find shelter before it gets too dark.”

With a sad smile, Suzy places a hand on my shoulder and softly says, “It was nice meeting you too. Be careful out there, okay? I want to see you again someday.”

Even though I tell myself not to, I begin smiling widely at her words, happy to hear that she wants to see me again.

“I will,” I promise with my smile still in place. “I’d like to see you again someday too.”

She smiles widely in return, the sight of it causing my heart to beat faster, my shoulder with her hand on it suddenly feeling fire-hot as everything seems to get warmer.

Why did everything get so hot?

Is it just me?

Okay, it might just be me…

Fantastic...

Yeah, I have to get out of here before I do something stupid.

Even though it pains me to do so, I give her one last, small smile before I stand up.

Without looking back, I begin walking toward the trees opposite the way I came from, every fiber of my being screaming that this is wrong.

Even though I desperately want to stay with Suzy and become good friends, I keep walking through the woods, remembering the words that my parents have told me countless times.

_ Never trust outsiders. _

_ They don't know who or what we are, and that scares them. _

_ They would rather shoot first, ask questions second. _

_ Never trust outsiders. _

And right now, the whole damn world is an outsider.

It might be a lonely existence, but at least I’m alive.

I’m alive.

As the last alive of my kind, I have to do everything I can to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again, everyone! :)
> 
> Well, there we have it, the first chapter of my new Game Grumps story, "The Curse of Powers"! Wooooo!
> 
> Much like my other Game Grumps story I'm working on right now (which is called "Secret Friends" and you should totally check it out), I don't have a set update time for chapters. I will say though that I've really been enjoying this story and might have the first seven chapters written most of the way already... Oops :P I'm going to continue working on both stories at the same time, like I have been already, but the only difference is that you all get to read this one now too! Yay! I don't think this will slow things down too much for either story but, if it does, please have some patience. I certainly don't plan on abandoning either story, because I've loved writing these Game Grumps ones so far!
> 
> I think that's all for me, so, like always, I want to say thank you to everyone for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! Much love to all of you!! :D <3 <3 <3
> 
> \- Crimson


	2. The Dangers of Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin continues traveling through the woods as it draws nearer to nighttime. He reflects on his journey so far and also finds something interesting along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! :) Here's Chapter 2 much earlier than I thought I would post! Oops :P Hope you enjoy it; this one was a lot of fun to write! :)

Arin’s pov

Damn, my legs really hurt.

Even though I want nothing more than to stop and rest, I continue trekking onward, knowing that I need to find someplace safe soon.

Before it becomes nighttime.

Just the thought of traveling through these woods during the nighttime causes me to shiver, hating the thought of it after what happened to me last night.

On my first night of traveling in the woods, I was able to find a hollow cutout in one of the trees I passed. It was cold, damp, and hella claustrophobic, but it kept me safe from all the fuckers who roam in these woods at night.

Last night, I was stupid enough to continue walking in the dark to try to cover more ground.

For the first few hours of the night, everything was silent. In hindsight, it was much too silent, none of the usual birds or crickets chirping. I should have known that something sinister was lurking out there. 

But, like a fucking idiot, I just kept walking and soon came face to face with one of the deadliest creatures of these woods: the Shadow Shades.

Shadow Shades, which are certainly a creature to be feared, are as black as the night itself. They almost always travel in groups of ten, only straying from the others if they find an easy enough prey to take down alone. All of them have over fifty razor-sharp teeth in their mouths, perfect for tearing into their prey. Of the ten, there is always a scout who searches for any nearby prey. Once the scout spots the next victim, they sound out a frequency that is so high pitched that it can only be heard by other Shadow Shades. After the signal is sent, the group speeds through the trees towards their next meal. Once they reach it, five of the Shadow Shades leap from the trees and land in front of it. Then, as the prey turns around to try and escape, the other five land behind the prey, successfully cutting off any chance of escape. The Shadow Shades, which average a height of four feet, start to close the gaps in their circle. As the Shadow Shades slowly approach their prey, they all simultaneously and rapidly open and close their mouths. The clicking of their jaws and scraping of hundreds of teeth is said to drive the weak-minded creatures of the woods mad, making it impossible for them to escape or fight against the Shadow Shades. Once the Shadow Shades have reached their prey, they slowly devour it, keeping it alive for most of the time to draw out the agony. 

Basically, it’s one hell of a way to die. 

Wouldn’t recommend it. 

I can’t help but walk much faster through the woods as I think of my encounter with a Shadow Shade last night, desperately hoping I never find another one.

XxXxXxX

Late last night, as I walked through the dense leaves and foliage of the woods, I had an uneasy feeling in my gut.

Right away, in the stillness of the night, I started to think that this was a mistake, that I should have just found a place to hide for the night.

Instead, like a fucking moron, I just kept walking onward, softly humming to myself to help pass the time.

After a few more minutes, I heard a loud rustling in the trees above me.

Unlike the constant brush of leaves in the wind, this was a loud shake of leaves, causing some to flitter to the ground, followed by pure silence. Then, once I walked a little farther, the noise would start again, only to stop moments later.

It took about four times of hearing that noise for the panic to set in. The first couple of times, I could try to trick myself that it was just the wind picking up around me in the nearby trees. I couldn’t feel even the slightest breeze though, which meant only one thing: I was being followed by something in the trees.

“Fuck this,” I muttered as I ran as fast as I could, wanting to get away from my pursuer before they decided to jump down to the ground and attack me.

Even with how fast I ran, the steady thump stayed with me, soon accompanied by the clacking of teeth.

The second I heard the notorious teeth scraping among one another, I knew what I was being chased by.

Even with all the times I had read about Shadow Shades though, I had literally no idea how to survive an encounter with this scout, especially once he called in the others.

Too out of breath to keep running, I stopped, breathing heavily as I procured my dagger from the sheath inside my right boot.

It wasn’t much, but I knew that anything would be better than just using my hands.

Regardless though, I thought I was going to die.

Mercifully, once I had caught my breath, the Shadow Shade jumped onto the group, seeming to forgo trying to call in reinforcements.

The Shade thought I was easy enough to kill without needing help.

Can’t say I blame it though.

I was scared out of my fucking mind, so I certainly didn’t expect it to lose.

Its violet eyes locked onto mine as it inched closer, all the while clicking its black teeth, forming the most devilish and frightening smiles.

If anyone ever smiled at me like that, I would run so fucking far and never look back.

Anyway, as it continued stalking toward me, nimble legs propelling it forward at painfully slow speeds, I just clutched tightly to my dagger, trying in vain to come up with a plan.

When I was younger, I had a strange fascination with all the horrifying creates that live in these woods, leading me to spend hours upon hours reading about them. Luckily, I learned that the best way to kill Shadow Shades is to stab or shoot them in the heart. Unlike humans though, their hearts are located in a soft, fleshy gap in between parts of their skull on the back of their heads. The way they close in on their prey as a group makes that spot nearly impossible to reach but, with only one after me, it was possible.

I didn’t think there was actually any hope of winning, but I knew what needed to be done.

So, once the Shadow Shade was only a few feet away, I pounced on it. 

With shaky legs, I dove to the left of the Shade, staying several feet away to keep from being bitten.

As if it couldn’t comprehend my sudden change in direction, it slowly continued forward, all the while still clicking its teeth, the sound making me want to punch something.

After it moved a few more feet in the wrong direction, putting me just slightly behind the creature, I quickly jumped to my feet.

Without any deliberation or hesitation, I once again launched myself at the backside of the creature.

The second the Shade felt my touch, it turned around, biting down hard on my left forearm.

As a scream tore through my lips, I plunged my knife into the soft part of its head, causing cobalt blue blood to rapidly spurt from the wound.

Fucking disgusting.

Immediately, it released my arm, instead uttering a low, guttural wail as it rapidly bled out before my eyes.

Soon, as I clutched tightly to my throbbing arm, I watched the light leave his beady violent eyes.

“Fuck you too,” I muttered as I pulled my dagger out from its flesh, wincing at the sticky blood drenching the entire thing, even the hilt.

Unsure what else to do, I threw my dagger to the ground and began kicking it around on the grass, hoping to clean it slightly before putting it back in my dark leather sheath.

Instead of picking up a now-clean dagger, I was met by one covered in blood, leaves, and dirt. 

Fucking great.

With a sigh, I slipped the disgusting dagger into my sheath, disdainfully thinking of the mess that would leave later.

After kicking the dead Shadow Shade for good measure, I set off through the woods again, hoping that my bloody arm wouldn’t attract any more creatures.

And, even though my arm hurt like hell, I felt pretty badass after killing that Shadow Shade all by myself.

XxXxXxX

As I reflect on my encounter with that fucking Shadow Shade, I subconsciously hold my left arm tighter to my chest, it still hurting like hell.

Later that night, I was able to stop the bleeding by creating a makeshift bandage out of vines and leaves. 

It certainly isn’t the work of a medic or healer, but I haven’t bled out yet, so that’s got to count for something.

Not for the first time, I wish that I was back in my village, where we had many healing and medicinal herbs that could have helped in a situation like this.

But, considering that those got burned to ash, along with literally everything else, this shitty bandage will have to do.

With a sigh, I continue trekking onward, each step much harder than the last as my fatigue hits me like a ton of bricks.

All I want to do is rest and sleep, but I know that doing so without shelter would just be asking to be attacked.

I’m so fucking tired though.

And hungry.

I haven’t eaten or slept since my first night out in these woods, which was almost two days ago.

I feel like absolute shit.

Still, I keep moving forward, my dagger clutched tightly in my hand as my feet drag me along.

After another ten minutes or so of walking, I notice a cave in the distance, the sight of it fills me with so much relief that I could actually cry.

With renewed vigor, I stumble toward the cave, desperately hoping that it isn’t already occupied. 

Soon, I reach the cave overlooking a steep cliff, surrounded by the woods on all other sides, making it nearly impossible to find.

But, by some stroke of luck, I found this cave.

As total exhaustion pulls at me, I walk to the entrance of the cave and peer inside.

After a few seconds of searching in vain, discovering that the inside of the cave is too dark to see anything, I decide to just walk inside it.

If something already lives here, hopefully they won’t mind sharing for the night, because I desperately need to sleep.

While holding my hand with the dagger out in front of me, knowing that I can’t let my guard down despite my exhaustion, I walk inside the cave.

Except, something keeps me from entering.

The tiredness collecting around the edges of my mind clears instantly as pain flares through my hand.

“FUCK!” I shout as I drop my dagger on the grassy floor, shaking out my stinging hand, feeling like I just got shocked. 

What the hell just happened?

Did this fucking cave just shock me for trying to enter?

Knowing that I need to figure this out, I carefully pick up a pebble from the ground, trying my best to ignore the tingling that is now spreading up from my hand and through my wrist.

Now armed with my small pebble, I approach the mouth of the cave again, making sure not to get too close.

While closely watching the cave entrance, I throw the pebble, my jaw dropping in amazement and awe at the sight before me.

Instead of landing inside the cave, the pebble instantly hits an invisible wall, a shimmery light pink momentarily shining at the start of the cave, showing me that there is a wall keeping anything from entering, no doubt shocking those who try.

Okay, that is fucking awesome!

I just found an enchanted cave!

With a loud yawn, my fatigue hits me full force, even my excitement over this cave not clearing away my tiredness.

Even though I wish I could have slept inside the cave, I just sit down as close to the cave entrance as I dare, not wanting to get shocked again.

While yawning once again, I lay down underneath the small overhang of the cave, resting my unbitten arm below my head as a pillow.

Finally, I allow my tired and heavy eyes to slip shut, too exhausted to do anything else but slip off to sleep within seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! :)
> 
> Well, there we go, Chapter 2 is done! Yay!! :)
> 
> I had a lot of fun with this chapter, especially when it came to imagining what some of the creatures in these woods would be like. 
> 
> Also, I published another new Game Grumps story today! Because I can't stop writing them, even though I should be doing school work instead... send help xD Anyway, my new story is called "I've Got You Now" and it's my second completed GG Oneshot! It's about Lifeguard Dan saving Arin from drowning, and I really like how it turned out. I'd appreciate it if you all checked it out! :)
> 
> Thank you to everyone for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! I say this a lot, but I really do love and appreciate all of you! :D
> 
> Looking forward to seeing you all somewhat soon in Chapter 3! :)
> 
> \- Crimson


	3. Overwhelming Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin wakes up hungry, delirious, and no longer alone. Luckily, the kind stranger is willing to help. Unluckily, he soon discovers something that makes him very wary of Arin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! Yay, I'm back! :D I'm excited to show you all this new chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! :)

Arin’s pov

Even though I don't want to, I slowly start to wake up again, my limbs feeling extremely heavy and… surprisingly warm.

Where am I?

Why is it so warm?

And why do I feel so tired if I just woke up?

As my awareness grows and heightens, I hear the sound of birds happily tweeting and chirping, the sound instantly causing a floodgate of memories to hit me.

Shit, that’s right, I’m sleeping outside, in front of a cave.

Not in my nice, comfy bed at home.

I don’t even have a home anymore.

Fuck, I'm homeless.

While feeling terribly sad now, I lay here still, wishing I could just sleep forever.

Or, better yet, wishing I could wake up and everything would be different.

Could everything just go back to the way it was before?

Please?

I just wanna go back home. 

Is that too much to ask for?

After a few seconds of still laying here in the dirt, I sigh heavily, knowing that no miracle is going to happen to me.

My home is gone, and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it.

With an involuntary yawn, I slowly stretch out my unhurt arm, which now prickles painfully as feeling returns to it.

Oh yeah, that’s right, one of my arms is hurt.

I was… attacked… maybe bitten… by… something?

Why can’t I remember?

Why do I feel so out of it?

My mind is all muddled and cloudy, as if I’m still asleep.

But I’m awake now, aren’t I?

Much like my arm, I slowly stretch out my legs too, enjoying the pops of my stiff muscles releasing, the feeling of it telling me that I am very much awake, even if my body feels horribly sluggish and uncooperative.

As much as I want to just bask in the sunlight unobscured by the trees for much longer, I realize that I’m starting to feel hot, my body occasionally shivering violently.

Wait, if I’m shivering, wouldn’t I be cold?

Yeah, now that I think about it, I'm absolutely freezing.

But how can I feel this cold with the sun’s fire-hot rays beating down on me?

Is something wrong with me?

Knowing that I need to get to the bottom of this, I force myself to slowly, painfully sit up, keeping my eyes firmly shut against the sun’s brightness, my head starting to pound behind my temple.

Just when I have worked up the courage to open my eyes, knowing that I need to brave the harsh light to assess my surroundings, I hear a noise that causes me to stop, my heart seeming to leap into my throat as it begins pounding rapidly. 

Off to my left, I hear a low, unmistakable warning growl from some creature, the sound immediately causing me to panic.

Suddenly fearing for my life, I quickly jump to my feet. While swiping my dagger from my boot, I squint into the sunlight, ignoring my heavy fatigue as I search in vain for my attacker.

“Easy, Boy,” a deep, gravelly voice softly says from somewhere behind me, the sound of his voice scaring the shit out of me.

With a surprised yelp, I quickly spin around, looking for whoever spoke to me.

Wait, someone spoke to me?!

I’m not alone anymore!

Oh shit, I’m not alone anymore...

Instead of the ferocious and dashing man holding a dagger that I try to be, I must look like an absolute idiot.

Suddenly feeling horribly dizzy, I sink to my knees, my dagger clattering uselessly to the dirt beside me as I clutch my head. Somehow, my head is pounding even more violently now, as if someone is taking a hammer and banging it against my skull, uncaring of the pain and damage they cause.

“Whoa, you okay, kid?” That same deep voice asks, but now his words are tinged with worry and… is that… fear?

I try to respond, I really do, but no sound escapes my suddenly parched throat, now feeling like I haven’t had water in years.

After a few more moments of trying in vain to speak, my stomach suddenly growls violently, the dreaded lurching I feel now takes all my attention.

I’m going to fucking throw up.

The second that thought crosses my mind, I double over, violently dry-heaving outside the mouth of this cave.

That is, if I’m still outside this cave.

Where the hell am I?

And who is this person with me?

And why do I feel so shitty?

And why do I have so many damn questions?

Can't my brain just shut up for once?

After several minutes spent coughing and hacking in agony, I bite down on my bottom lip hard, forcing myself to stop since I know that literally nothing is going to come out.

With startling clarity, I realize through my haze of pain and confusion that I’m so hungry to the point that it’s making me sick.

“Pl-Please,” I beg in a low whisper, hating to ask anything of this stranger, but knowing that I will literally die if he doesn’t help me.

“What do you need?” The man asks kindly as I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder, his touch making me shiver involuntarily from fear, terrified of what he might do to me, but too weak to protect myself in any way.

“F-F-Food,” I whisper after a few moments of struggling, my tongue feeling like sandpaper, much too dry and heavy to work properly.

“Okay, I can help you,” the man whispers immediately, his voice filled with even more worry than before. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Over… t-two-o d-d-day-y,” I mumble as my eyes slip shut again, the pounding in my temple making it impossible for me to keep my eyes open anymore.

“Fucking hell,” the man curses under his breath as his hand leaves my shoulder.

Immediately, I hear soft, yet hurried footsteps around me as the man goes into his cave to look for food.

At least, I really hope that’s what he’s doing.

I really hope that he wants to help me, not hurt me.

A few moments later, I begin to smell some kind of meat, the scent of it, despite not even really knowing what it is, causes my mouth to water and a low, pathetic whine to escape.

I would do fucking anything to have some of that food right now.

“Here,” the man suddenly says, his voice, which sounds so close to my ear, causes me to flinch, not expecting him to be here.

How did I not hear him walk toward me again?

Am I really that out of it?

Feeling so very disoriented, I slowly open my eyes.

Through blurry vision, I see a hand out in front of me, something brown and lumpy in his palm.

Uncaring of what I’m about to eat, I grab the food from him with shaky hands, noticing the unusual, spongy texture of the meat. 

As I take the first, ravenous bite, another whine escapes me, so thankful to have food again.

I’ve missed it so fucking much.

“Wow, you really are hungry,” the man whispers in a low, slightly amused tone after I've taken several large bites. “That’s rabbit, by the way.”

I don’t respond, too focused on eating the meat--rabbit, I guess--to say anything to him.

After a few more moments, I slowly move my hands away from my mouth to stop eating. Even though about half of my meal is left, and the thought of stopping brings me physical pain, I know that I need to stop. Thankfully, I’m not too far gone to forget that, after how long it’s been since I last ate, getting sick from eating too much at one time is a sure possibility.

And, after how painful throwing up was earlier, I really don’t want to go through that again.

“Th-thanks,” I mumble weakly to the man, feeling eternally grateful that he spared some of his food with me, but too exhausted to properly express my thanks.

“Of course,” the man says without hesitation, a smile heard clearly in his voice. “Do you want some water too?”

A low, barely-there whimper escapes in response to his question, desperately wanting water since the last time I had some was at the lake with Suzy, but unable to find any words through my fatigue.

With a soft, melodic chuckle, the man softly says, “Okay, I’ll get you some water. After that, I think you should sleep again to regain your strength.”

Food, water, and then sleep?

That sounds really nice.

Almost… too nice?

Before I can even begin to wonder why this man is helping me, he returns, taking the meat from my hand and instead replacing it with a cold, glass jar of water.

I tell myself to bring the jar to my lips and drink, much like I have hundreds of times before. With how badly my hands are shaking though, I can’t even manage that, instead thinking that I might even drop the precious water jar.

As tears of frustration well in my eyes, the man takes the jar from my hands. The thought of being denied this water causes a weak, ugly sob to tear through my dry, abused throat, hating that this is even happening.

Hating that I’m not only so weak right now, but I’m also entirely dependent on a stranger.

I know literally nothing about him, but my entire life is in his hands.

Fuck, I can’t do this!

I have to get out of here!

I have to escape here before he decides that he’s had enough of me.

I don't want him to hurt me!

Please, don't hurt me.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the man kindly says as tears begin rapidly slipping down my cheeks, my loud, frantic breathing echoing weakly around us. “I can help you.”

Feeling like I don’t deserve this man’s kindness, I just minutely nod my head, extremely grateful that he’s willing to help me, but terrified that it won’t last.

A moment later, I feel the cold glass jar press against my parched lips, causing me to eagerly open my mouth.

Carefully, the man helps me drink water until I've gotten my fill, afterward walking away, probably to put the jar back.

Suddenly, the man is beside me again, his voice startling me as he softly says, “Just sleep now. I’ll keep you safe.”

Feeling exhaustion once again tug at the corners of my consciousness, I don’t protest as the man helps me lay down, the ground suddenly feeling very comfortable on my weak, fatigued limbs.

Once I am laying down out in who-knows-where, the man walks away, leaving me to sleep now.

As I start to drift off, I distantly feel the man carefully lift my head, placing something soft underneath me so I don’t have to use the dirt as my only pillow.

With a small smile on my face, I quickly fall asleep, succumbing to my exhaustion in front of this stranger, dully hoping that I’ll be safe here in my weakened state.

XxXxXxX

Dan’s pov

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

As I pace back and forth inside my cave, no doubt creating a rut in the ground below, I wonder for nearly the hundredth time if I’m doing the right thing.

A couple of hours ago, I returned home with a few of my wolves, but, unlike usual, they started growling immediately, their hackles raised high. My first thought was that some kind of animal, probably a rabbit or squirrel, was trying to enter my cave. I certainly didn’t expect to see what was actually there: a person asleep right outside of my cave.

Much like when I first found him, the boy, who looks to be about 17 or 18, sleeps at the mouth of my cave. While I was gone, he must have tried coming inside, but the barrier kept him out, leaving him no choice but to fall asleep outside, unprotected from the harsh elements and frigid temperatures of these woods. 

This boy, despite his young age, has no doubt been through hell.

His frail, shaking form is tightly hunched over on himself, seeming like he is trying to become as small as possible even in his sleep. Every inch of his body is filthy, covered in several layers of dirt, making it seem like he has been living in these woods for a long time. His right hand is red and swollen, some of the skin blistering and peeling slightly, probably from touching the electrified cave barrier too many times. His left arm is crudely wrapped in leaves and vines, this make-shift bandage no doubt doing nothing to help heal whatever wound is there. His tan shirt and dark brown pants are caked in dirt, littered with many holes, and even torn off in some places. His shoulder-length light brown hair, which might have been beautiful and well cared for at one point, is tangled and matted, filled with leaves and even a few twigs. Even beneath all the layers of dirt, I can see that this boy’s face is much too pale, making it seem like he is on the brink of death.

And honestly, with how desperately he tore into that rabbit, he might actually have been on the brink of death.

Fuck, if I hadn’t helped him, I don’t think he would have lived to see another day.

A sudden surge of protectiveness courses through me, wanting to keep this boy safe from whatever sent him into a life like this.

With a heavy sigh, I plop down onto the ground beside the boy, getting as close to him as I can while still staying behind my protective barrier.

Seeming to think that me sitting down is an invitation, Lucky, one of my head wolves, comes trotting up to me from outside the cave.

As Lucky lays down beside me, resting his head on my lap, I chuckle fondly, still mystified that these wild animals have taken such a liking to me.

I mean sure, I can become a wolf whenever I want to. This lets me think and behave similarly to them, but I am, and always will be, human first.

I’m entirely in awe of how, in moments like right now, when I look fully human, these wolves still love and trust me.

And, even though I have no idea what I did to deserve it, they made me their alpha.

I’m their pack leader, despite not being born a wolf.

They’ve not only accepted me into their pack, but also made me an essential part of it.

And, in turn, I’ve taught them things about being human, like what certain words mean and how we show affection.

They especially love the affection part.

Just like dogs and cats, my wolves love being petted, having their bellies rubbed, and getting scratched behind their ears. Recently, much to my amusement, their short, stubby tails have even started to wag as I pet them.

At this point, even though I would never tell anyone, my wolves are nothing more than ferocious-looking-doggos. They may have sharp teeth that can effortlessly sear through flesh, but they’d much rather rollover to be petted than kill something.

It’s both adorable and infuriating at the same time.

With a smile, I scratch behind Lucky’s left ear, his tail beginning to wag rapidly as he pants loudly, his reaction causing me to giggle. 

Yeah, definitely just a big dog at this point.

As I continue scratching Lucky, I find myself stealing quick glances at the sleeping boy a few feet away from me.

Even though I tell myself to ignore it and just help him, I’ve got a sick, persistent feeling settling in my gut.

Something doesn’t seem right about him.

And he certainly doesn’t smell right.

Underneath all the layers of dirt and grime covering him, I can smell something… off about him.

Due to all the time I’ve spent in my wolf form over the years, I have a much stronger command over my senses than most humans. While most people would barely even smell the filth on this boy, the scent of him nearly causes me to gag if I get too much of it. Certainly, no one would be able to detect whatever that underlying… dark power he has.

What _is_ this boy?

At a glance, he seems human, but my wolf instincts tell me otherwise.

And, as a Shape Shifter who looks totally normal on the outside, I know that I should always trust my wolf blood over appearances.

What could he be though?

I’ve had a lot of experience over the years with different kinds of magical beings, but he is unlike anything I’ve ever known. 

Most of the magical beings I have met exude power, but not with this hidden darkness that he holds.

The only beings with dark power I know are a few Shifters, Demons, Succubi, several vampires and some telepathic communicators, but most of them openly flaunt their wicked nature.

This boy’s darkness is kept hidden, locked away so deep that even I can’t place it.

What could he be hiding?

And why is he hiding it?

Even though some humans don’t like those with special powers or abilities, these beings roam free within society, none of them needing to hide for fear of prosecution.

Well, almost no one needs to hide.

There's one species who is hated by everyone.

They're looked down upon, yet also feared by all.

“Monster,” I whisper suddenly with conviction, thinking of a specific subspecies of telepaths.

These telepathic communicators used to live in society among everyone else but, one day, they grew hungry for power. They used their powers to turn humans into mindless zombies, then forced them to build a village for these telepaths to have all to themselves. Once the humans finished with their labor, the telepaths ordered them into these very woods. They were brought here in cold blood, sentenced to die a slow, painful death to the more-carnivorous creatures living in these woods. From that day forth, these telepaths were known as Monsters. They might look human, but they have no values or remorse for the lives of those outside their village.

Once those horrible events occurred, war was waged on them by the Collective Society of Shape Shifters. This war has been going on for centuries now. Both numbers have dwindled in size but, within the past several years, we finally started to get the upper hand on these Monsters. There are only about 300 monsters living in that village now, and they never venture very far outside of it.

So, why is this boy, who is most certainly one of those Monsters, sleeping outside of my cave?

The cave of a Shifter.

Is he trying to trick me into trusting him?

If so, he’s a damn good actor.

The way he nearly fainted, ate like a starving man, and started to cry at the thought of not getting any water was extremely realistic.

Too realistic to fake.

Without a doubt in my mind, I know that this boy came to me moments away from death.

But, the real question is why.

Why would he venture outside his village, especially since doing so nearly killed him?

Based on how dirty he is, it looks like he has been out here in the woods for a while, maybe about a week.

What could have sent him out here for so long?

Was he banished?

If so, why?

Monsters have always been known for protecting their kind. Even when someone is a convicted murderer or the worst of the worst kinds of people, they always have a safe place in the village.

Besides, Monsters don’t kill each other like humans do.

No, they reserve their cruel deeds and horrors for the lives of innocent people.

I fucking hate them.

Even if I wasn’t a Shifter, I’m sure I would hate them. 

The whole damn world hates them.

The whole damn world hates people like this boy.

Reserving myself to not getting any sleep, I settle back against the wall of my cave, whistling for all my wolves to come back inside.

Reluctantly, the six wolves outside slink and trot into my cave.

With a small smile, I look around the cave, seeing my twenty-seven wolves scattered throughout the expanse of my large cave. Some of them sleep by themselves, seeming to take the saying of Lone Wolf literally. Much to my endless amusement, others pile on top of their wolf brethren, some even going as far as nibbling on the ears of those trying to sleep beside them. Lastly, a few wolves lay close to me, nearly every part of my legs touching a wolf as they press themselves against me, hoping to be petted like Lucky.

“You’re all goofballs,” I mutter fondly under my breath as I continue stroking Lucky, my other hand finding its way into the fur of my largest wolf, Dominic’s, back.

Beside me, Dominic chuffs slightly, acting as if he heard my remark.

And, even though he’s one of my six wolves who understand some words in human tongue, ‘goofball’ never seemed like an important one for me to teach them.

Of course, he still acts annoyed though.

I love him, but damn, Dominic sure does enjoy getting me riled up.

After doing a final headcount to make sure all twenty-eight of us are safely inside, I turn toward the boy, knowing that I need to watch him carefully now that I know the truth.

And, under normal circumstances, I would never do something so creepy as watching someone while they sleep.

When someone sleeps, they deserve privacy, not some weirdo watching the steady rise and fall of their chest.

But, with a dangerous Monster like this boy, I refuse to take my eyes off him for even a second.

Not until I know why the hell he’s here, encroaching on my territory, and what he wants from me.

I continue petting Lucky and Dominic while watching the boy, looking forward to when he wakes up.

Soon, the questioning will begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, everyone! :)
> 
> Well, there we have it! Chapter 3 is now done! Woooo! This chapter took a little longer to get out than I originally expected, mostly because I got sick for a while, but I'm starting to feel better now. I've also been working on several other works too, so that's also part of why this took a while. I'm back now though and I'm excited to progress this story more! :)
> 
> Speaking of other works, I posted a new Game Grumps oneshot earlier today (of course I did, because I apparently have no self-control and keep writing instead of doing homework xD)! It's called "Colorblind" and it's inspired by a song that got me through a rough time a while ago, which is Colorblind by Mokita. It's a little sad, but I really like how the oneshot turned out, so I hope you all check it out! :) It'll probably be my last oneshot for a while since I've finally finished the three I started in early September. 
> 
> Thank you very much to everyone reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! I say it a lot, but I really appreciate you all!! <3 <3 <3
> 
> Looking forward to seeing you all in Chapter 4 in the future! :)
> 
> \- Crimson


	4. I Know What You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin and Dan talk. Things go about as well as expected, especially when two species at war for centuries sit down to chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I'm back!! Hope you all enjoy this chapter! :D

Arin’s pov

Once again, I slowly start to wake up, my body still feeling sluggish, but nowhere near as bad as before.

Hey, I don’t feel like absolute shit! That’s always good.

After a few more moments of drifting in and out of awareness, I wake up fully, a low groan escaping at the brightness behind my eyelids.

Okay, so, I’m probably still outside.

And it’s definitely not nighttime based on how bright this stupid sun is.

“H-Hello?” I ask weakly as I continue laying in the dirt, wondering if the man from earlier is still here.

The man who saved my life.

For a few moments, everything is silent, the only sound being the steady rustle of the breeze and the happy chirps of birds.

Maybe I’m alone now.

Just when I decide that no one else is here, I hear shuffling behind him, along with a low growl.

Oh shit, is there some kind of creature here?!

Are they going to eat me?!

Fuck, I don’t want to be eaten!

“Pl-Please,” I beg as I slowly start to sit up, terrified that, in my tired and groggy state, I won’t be able to protect myself at all against whatever's here with me.

“It’s alright, Kid,” a deep, gravelly voice says from off to my right, and I immediately recognize him as the man who saved my life. “As long as you don’t try to hurt them, my wolves won’t hurt you.”

Well, that’s reassuring.

I think.

Why the hell are there wolves here to begin with though?

“Cool,” I mutter tiredly as I finally make it into a sitting position, my hurt arm burning fiercely the whole time, protesting any and all movement.

Surprisingly, the man giggles, the sweet, melodic sound seeming out of place paired with his deep voice, but it’s certainly not an unpleasant sound.

In fact, he has a really nice laugh.

I might not know his name or what he looks like, but, after already hearing his laugh, I feel a little safer around him.

Moments later though, that feeling of safety is instantly shattered as the man says in a low, serious tone, “I know what you are.” 

For a few seconds, I just continue sitting here, leaning back against the mouth of his cave for support, my muddled and tired brain not yet processing his words.

The second I realize what this man said though, my eyes fly open in panic, feeling like a helpless animal caught in a trap with no way out.

How can I get out of this?

He knows?!

There’s only one thing he could mean by that, and the fact that he knows my biggest secret while I’m still feeling weak and tired is absolutely terrifying.

Even though I’m so scared, I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down before I panic too much.

After all, the worst thing I can do is admit that he’s right.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say as confidently as I can muster, but my heart is beating so fast that it might burst out of my chest, my voice wavering noticeably from absolute terror.

Even though I just want to run and hide from this man, I look at him for the first time, needing to know what I’m up against.

Needing to know if there's any chance I could survive a fight with him.

Sitting a few feet away from me in his cave is a tall man, who looks to be about 24 or 25. His light gray full-body suit is immaculate and pristine, despite sitting on the dirty ground. Atop his head rests a nest of curly light brown hair that’s puffed up and sticking out in all directions. His angular face and pronounced jaw are framed by his mass of hair, a small amount of brown stubble lining his chin. The feature that draws my attention the most is his deep brown eyes that seem to pierce through my soul as he continues to stare at me, an unreadable expression on his face.

“You’re a Monster,” the man even says after I watch him for a few moments, his words emotionless rather than the disgust or derision that I expected.

Well, the fact that it doesn’t _sound_ like he hates me is a good sign.

As my heart continues pounding madly, my hands trembling slightly now, I try to make light of this awful situation and say with a forced smile, “Well, that was rude.”

I expect this man to laugh or snicker at my joke, but he doesn’t seem the slightest bit amused.

The man’s face hardens slightly, his eyes narrowing as he continues watching me, making me feel even more nervous and afraid.

“Cut the crap,” the man demands in a low, dangerous whisper, his words causing me to lower my gaze, knowing that I truly have been caught. “We both know what you are. You’re one of those telepaths who have been at war for a long time.”

At the mention of the war, my heart sinks, tears rushing to my eyes at the thought of my village.

My home, my whole life, burned to the ground within the blink of an eye.

“What are you going to do to me?” I ask dejectedly as I stare at the dirt below me, trying hard to fight the tears threatening to spill.

“I don’t know,” the man says in an uncertain tone after a few seconds of silence, his words surprising me so much that I lift my head to look at him again. “I have a lot of questions, so, if you’re willing to answer mine, I’ll answer yours too.”

That’s… it?

Usually, this is the part where people learn what I am, then threaten to kill me if I don’t leave. 

Or, they just skip that step and try to kill me.

This man just wants to… talk?

There’s got to be some kind of catch, right?

Feeling like I don’t have much of a choice, I reluctantly nod my head, hoping that all this man really wants is to ask me some questions.

“Great,” the man says with a small, genuine smile that makes the corner of his eyes crinkle, the brown in his eyes shining brightly. “First question: What are your feelings on the war?”

For a few seconds, I just stare at the man in shock, now feeling even warier of him.

What kind of a first question is that?!

The war is over, my people slaughtered in cold blood when all we wanted was peace.

Does he want to gloat?

Is he going to rub it in my face that everyone I’ve known and loved is dead?

With a bitter laugh, I look him in the eyes and angrily say, “I fucking hated that war! I wish it could have ended peacefully, but the Shifters decided that peace was overrated.”

Disbelief flashes across his face at my words, his reaction surprising me.

No laughing.

No cheering that the war is over.

Nothing but total shock and disbelief.

Did he not know that it was over?

How could anyone not know the war is over?

I’m sure every damn village is cheering and celebrating the death of my people.

This man must be no different.

Maybe he’s just feigning ignorance to get me to trust him.

But why would he even care about my trust?

Isn’t he just going to kill me after he gets his answers?

Suddenly, while sounding horribly lost and confused, he softly asks, “What do you mean? Is the war over?”

He really doesn't know?

Shit, I’m going to have to tell him what happened...

Fuck!

I don’t think I can do this.

I slowly place my shaking hands in my lap, breathing deeply for a few moments to keep the grief and panic at bay.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, I whisper brokenly as hot tears race down my cheeks, “It’s over. I’m the only one left.”

Through blurry vision, I watch the man physically recoil backward, seeing entirely at a loss for words.

“W-What?! What about the village?!” The man finally asks in a raised, shocked voice, seeming entirely in disbelief.

“Gone,” I whisper while angrily wiping away my tears, hating that I’m crying in front of this stranger right now. “Burned to the ground. I… I’m the only one who-”

I can’t finish talking, an ugly sob tearing through my throat as I remember stumbling upon the smoldering remains of my beloved home just a few days ago.

“Holy shit,” the man mutters, his voice still filled with shock and… is that sadness?

That can’t be, right?

No one cares about us.

How could he be any different?

Then, as he slowly and cautiously starts coming toward me, he solemnly whispers, “I’m so sorry to hear that. I… I always hoped that the war would end peacefully. It’s been going on for too damn long, but this isn’t the kind of ending I ever wanted to see.”

Once he reaches me, he kneels down beside me, only about a foot in between us, coming much closer than anyone has ever since that day. Suddenly, he places a tentative hand on my shoulder, the contact causing me to flinch, still absolutely terrified of him.

Especially since he knows that I’m the last of my kind.

Dammit, why did I tell him that?!

Now he knows that, if he killed me, there will be no one like me left.

Before I can hate myself too much for oversharing, the man suddenly asks in a shy, nervous tone, “Hey, want a hug?” 

Wait, what?

Would he really want to give me a hug?

Everyone is disgusted by my kind, even though we haven’t done anything wrong for so long. 

People looking at me with anything other than hatred is rare. Getting offered a hug is literally unheard of.

Unable to resist the thought of being hugged after all the shit that’s happened to me lately, I eagerly nod my head, desperately hoping that this isn’t a trap.

So far, this man has been nothing but kind to me, but I have no idea how long that will last.

Gently, the man pulls me to his chest, allowing me to lean my weight against his front as he loosely wraps his arms around my back.

Even though I still don’t even know this man’s name, I can’t help but cling to him tightly as I sob into his gray suit, so desperate for any kindness.

Especially after such a long time spent alone in these fucking woods.

It might be pathetic but, after my whole world changed this quickly, I think I’m entitled to cry a little.

After a few more moments of sobbing and heaving violently, I realize that this is my first time properly grieving.

Sure, along the way a few tears slipped out here and there, but I could never really let it out, too focused on trying to survive.

Now that I have found a somewhat safe place to be, everything is crashing down on me all at once, the weight of it too much for me to keep going alone.

“I’ve got you,” the man murmurs comfortingly as he begins rubbing small, gentle circles on my lower back, the feeling of it causing me to clutch him tighter, so thankful for his kindness.

I don’t understand why he’s being nice to me, but I’m really glad he is.

Not only did he save my life, but he’s offering me emotional support too, something I rarely got even while at home since everyone was always so focused on surviving this war.

What good that did.

All the hours my parents spent planning attacks and defensive measures, instead of raising their son, was all for nothing.

All for nothing.

After a few minutes of crying my fucking heart out, I finally start to calm down, occasionally sniffling as a few silent tears still slide down my cheeks. 

Even though I feel extremely embarrassed after crying on this man’s nice suit, I can’t deny that I feel a hell of a lot better.

Sure, everything still fucking sucks, but it doesn’t feel like the weight of the whole damn world is on my shoulders.

I know I shouldn’t… but I can’t help but feel less alone now. 

After awkwardly clearing my throat, I mumble sheepishly, “Sorry for messing up your suit.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the man easily says without hesitation, a smile heard in his voice. “Besides, you didn’t mess it up.”

Unable to believe that my cascade of tears and snot didn’t mess up his clothes, I lean back to see for myself.

Even though I know his suit should be a mess now, it is still perfectly clean, seeming to have some kind of magical seal or protection on it.

Huh, magical.

His… suit… is… magical?

A magical suit…

That sounds a lot like… the clothes a Shape Shifter wears…

Wait...

Oh, fuck that!

Immediately, I scoot away from him and scramble backward, all sadness leaving me now that I’ve realized what he is.

He’s a fucking Shape Shifter!

He’s associated with the people who slaughtered everyone I’ve ever known and loved.

“Whoa, take it easy, Kid,” the man whispers in a surprised and weary voice as he raises his hands in a placating gesture.

This is fucking bullshit!

I can’t believe I trusted him!

Now that I'm about five feet away from him, I quickly grab my dagger from my sheath, brandishing it out in front of me in a desperate attempt to keep him away from me.

“You’re a fucking Shifter!” I scream as I wave the dagger out in front of me, absolutely livid.

There’s no other explanation for his suit.

Shape Shifters always get their ability to change forms from some piece of clothing. From the moment a Shifter is given that item, it becomes an extension of themself. They can wear it for life without it ever becoming too small or too dirty. It also has some kind of binding spell that makes it indestructible, making it impossible for someone to cut or damage the clothing. Once someone is given this clothing piece, they become a Shifter for life. 

And this man is certainly a Shifter.

Un-fucking-believable!

I’ll fucking kill him!

“Please, calm down and let me explain,” the man pleads with his hands still raised in surrender, a hint of fear in his eyes now. “I figured out what you were while you were asleep and defenseless, but I didn’t hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I open my mouth to scream and yell at him, to tell him to ‘fuck off’, but, even though I hate to admit it, I realize he’s right.

He’s had so many opportunities to hurt or kill me, but he hasn’t.

And, even though I hate literally everything to do with Shifters, he has been incredibly kind to me so far.

How long will it last though?

This can’t possibly last.

Once he has what he wants from me, he’ll certainly try to kill me.

Especially since he knows I’m the last of my kind.

Shit, I should have never shared so much with him!

He could easily just kill me and officially end the war.

He could easily end my entire species.

This fucking sucks!

I have to get out of here!

Without another word, I sprint through the woods, my dagger still firmly clutched in a white-knuckle grip. I have no idea where I’m going, I just need to escape this Shifter before he hurts me.

Escape.

Run.

Escape.

Danger.

Escape.

Like a mantra, those words give me the strength to push past my fatigue and run faster than I ever have, knowing that I can’t let this Shifter hurt me.

Please, I don’t want him to hurt me.

I don’t want to die.

After an eternity of running, my lungs straining painfully for more air, I faintly hear the barking and snarling of wolves behind me, no doubt belonging to the Shifter’s wolves.

This Shifter isn’t giving up.

He’d rather his wolves tear me to shreds than let me leave.

Please, I just want to live.

It seems like he and his wolves have other plans though.

So, let the chase begin. Because I’m sure as hell not going down without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it, Chapter 4 is done! Yay!
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, thank you so much to everyone for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! I really appreciate all your support!
> 
> Just a little heads up, but I think my updates are going to slow down substantially for about a month. I have a little over a month of university left for this semester, so I know I should try to prioritize my classes instead of writing Game Grumps stories. Even though that's totally lame :P 
> 
> For those of you reading "Secret Friends", I don't think I'll be updating that until after I finish school. I'm almost done with Chapter 6, but I don't have any of Chapter 7 written yet, so I think I'd rather leave you all on the upbeat and silly Chapter 5. Chapter 6 is pretty rough for Dan, so I don't wanna leave you all on a sad note then disappear for a month xD
> 
> I might still continue updating this story for a bit though since I have up to chapter 8 finished (but not edited yet). I do plan on updating at least Chapter 5, maybe sometime next week, since this chapter ended in a cliff-hanger. Once December hits though, don't expect anything until after my last day on the 18th ;)
> 
> Alright, that's it for my super long author's note ;) Thanks again for all your support; love y'all!! <3 <3 <3
> 
> \- Crimson


	5. I Guess We're Friends Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan tracks down Arin in the woods with the help of his most trusted wolves. Unfortunately, one wolf in particular can't be trusted. Luckily, Dan has a trick up his sleeve to save the day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M BACKKKK!!! Hey everyone! :) It’s me, from before! Wow! :P I finished this semester of online university so I’m back! I love how this chapter turned out, so I hope you all enjoy it too! :D

Dan’s pov

“Dammit, dammit, dammit!” I angrily shout as I run through the woods after the fleeing boy, wishing that he would have at least let me explain before freaking out like this.

We could have had a nice, level-headed conversation together, but no! Instead, he’s running through the woods like a mad man, no doubt while horribly injured and exhausted!

After going only a few more feet, I pause and quickly turn around, noticing my cave as a little speck in the distance. Damn, if I ever want to catch this boy, I’ll definitely need some backup.

“Come!” I shout as loud as I can, cupping my hands around my mouth for extra volume, hoping my six wolves who know human commands will hear me from here and help me find the boy. 

Thankfully, about twenty seconds later, I see six blobs trotting toward me in the distance. I can just faintly hear their happy yaps and excited snarls over our impending adventure, but the faint sounds still make me grin. 

I love these guys.

Once they all reach me, yellow eyes staring into mine and wagging tails excitedly waiting for direction, I carefully command as clearly as I can, “Gentle. Chase.” 

Normally I don’t make my commands this simple, knowing these wolves are so intelligent, but I have to be careful.  _ Chase  _ is the command I use when we go hunting so… yeah... I really would prefer if they didn’t try to rip the skin and muscle from his bones, then eat it. 

Damn, I love these wolves, but that just sounds so gross.

Seeming to understand what I’m asking, the six sprint off in the direction of the boy, a few growling and snarling at each other as the race.

They’re such goofballs.

While smiling widely and rolling my eyes fondly at their interactions, I run behind my wolves. I’m nowhere near as fast as them while human, but I don’t need to be, knowing that they’ll find the boy and cut off his path so I can catch up.

After about five minutes of running, I begin to feel a little winded, but I don’t stop, knowing that I can’t let the boy get away.

Not without learning more about him first.

My whole life, I’ve wanted to know more about Monsters, especially why this war started. For some reason though, no one ever answered my questions. Even the history teachers who spoke of the war refused to take any questions. Do we have something to hide? Is that why no one explained anything about them? All I want is the truth. Is that too much to ask for?

After seeing a glimpse of this boy’s terrified mind though, hearing what horrible things we did to his people, I know this truth must be so ugly, causing Shifters to lock it up tightly and never spread that information. With each time I look at this badly shaken, undernourished boy, I can’t help but wonder if Shifters deserve the name Monster, not him.

I just have to know what he did to deserve such cruel treatment. There must be a reason why he is the only survivor of that catastrophe. Not only that, but he  _ found  _ me. He easily could have died in the woods, whether by some horrible creature attacking him, dehydration, or starvation, all of which he seemed very close to succumbing to last night. Instead, I’m here to help him. Well, I’m  _ trying  _ to help him, but he’s still running away from me like his entire life depends on it.

Call it fate, or maybe just dumb luck, but there’s no one else living in these woods for miles. How amazing is it that the last member of the species I’ve spent my whole life wondering about actually crossed paths with me? And I’ll be damned if I just let him run off to be hunted down and die.

Especially since he’s the last one alive.

Which is fucking crazy!

Just last week, I heard in the nearest village that some of the Elite Shifters were ready to launch another attack but, just like all the others, I didn’t expect it to work.

I certainly didn’t expect that attack to wipe out all but one.

And how is it that this boy survived?

Why is he the only one left?

Does he have some special power that kept him alive?

Was he outside the village during the time of the attack, keeping him from meeting the same fate as the others?

Why would he be outside the village to begin with though? They have a well-working economy amongst themselves, so no one ventures outside. Ever. 

As I continue running, I sigh heavily, forcibly shoving the onslaught of questions from my mind. There are a billion things I want to ask the boy but, if I can’t find him in these woods, my questions will just drive me insane.

Feeling determined to find the boy, I push myself to go faster. As I continue sprinting, I try my best to ignore the heaviness that spreads through my limbs and the feeling of my chest on fire, as if I can’t get in enough air with each breath.

After a few more minutes of running, I hear a loud yelp from a little ways away, the sound telling me that my wolves found the boy, but one must have misunderstood my command.

I thought I made myself pretty clear through with the word ‘gentle’. That’s  _ supposed _ to mean they don’t hurt him.

Actually, they might have understood me, but Dominic decided to just do things his own way.

Again.

I swear, that wolf will be the death of me.

Now that I know the boy is hurt, I run even faster, my breaths violently echoing throughout the woods as I wish I had just shifted into my wolf form.

Running on two legs is the fucking worst! They’re slower, heavier, and get tired way faster than using four. How do people deal with this?! If this was my only way of traveling through these woods, I’d go insane.

Thankfully, after only a few more agonizingly long minutes of running, I spot Lucky about thirty feet away, his light gray tail poking through some of the dense foliage.

While still feeling a fierce burn in my lungs, I tightly clutch my chest as I speed walk toward Lucky, too exhausted to keep running.

Damn, when did I get so out of shape in this form?

Also, how the hell did this boy run so far?

I’m over here dying, but he literally almost died yesterday, yet he managed to go this far?

Wow, the things the human body can do when it thinks there’s life-threatening danger are so remarkable.

As I steadily approach Lucky and my other wolves, I hear loud, ferocious snarling, accompanied by the boy’s pained beg of, “Ah, f-fuck, pl-please.”

Shit, he might be really hurt!

“Dammit, Dominic, I just know this was you,” I mutter bitterly under my breath as I start jogging the rest of the distance between us, knowing that I need to intervene quickly.

A few seconds later, I break through the dense patch of trees, leading to a more open area. Along the outside of the small, square-shaped clearing, sits five of my wolves, watching the scene before them with what seems like indifference and disinterest.

Near the middle of the clearing is the boy and, of course, none other than Dominic. The boy lays in the dirt on his back, his body shaking and writhing in pain as he brandishes something in his hand. Meanwhile, Dominic growls and snarls as he bites down on the boy’s right leg, seeming like he won’t let go of it for anything, blood marring his snout, neck, and front from the boy’s leg.

Shit, he’s really biting the boy hard!

Suddenly, I realize the boy’s holding a dagger, probably the same one he threatened me with earlier. 

As I try to think of how I can get the dagger out of his hand before anyone gets hurt, a guttural and pained whine escapes Dominic as the boy’s hand gets too close to him. Quickly, blood starts to seep from a long, but thankfully shallow gash on Dominic’s front right paw. I start to feel a little sick as Dominic’s blood steadily gushes onto the dirt below, mingling with the boy's own in a deadly sea of crimson.

Fucking hell, they’re going to kill each other!

“Release! Drop the dagger!” I shout at the top of my lungs as I continue quickly walking toward them, knowing that I have to stop this before things escalate even further.

Seeming to not hear me, the boy just continues laying there, his right hand still holding the dagger and swiping it wildly. As he lays on his back, his entire body thrashing madly, Dominic stubbornly keeps his jaw locked onto the boy’s left calf.

Dammit!

Why do both of them have to be so stubborn?!

“Drop. The. Fucking. Dagger,” I demand harshly when I’m only a few feet away, hoping the boy will push past his pain and listen to me so I can help him.

For a few seconds, the boy continues struggling as Dominic holds steady to his leg, the sight causing me to panic, unsure how I can get one of these two to yield before someone fucking dies.

“FUCK!” The boy wails as he accidentally drops the dagger, his hand shaking as he blindly fumbles for it again.

“Release,” I loudly command Dominic the second the dagger isn’t in the boy’s hand, knowing that he’s no longer a danger.

With an annoyed huff, Dominic releases the boy’s leg, slowly slinking toward me as he growls his complaint, his snout, chest, and front legs shining an ugly, deep, dark shade of red from their blood.

Wow, who would have thought wolves could be such dicks?

Now that my wolves are at least several feet away from the boy, I kneel down beside him. Quickly, I grab his dagger and throw it several feet away from us, not wanting him to stab me.

Yeah, that would really suck.

“F-Fuck y-y-you,” the boy mutters weakly in between whimpers, his eyes squeezed shut tightly and face scrunched in immense pain.

Feeling extremely guilty, I place a hand on his forehead, brushing away the dirty and sweaty hair plastered to his face as I softly apologize, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to get hurt. I told my wolves to be gentle with you, but Dominic doesn’t always listen to me.”

“R-Really?” The boy softly asks in disbelief after a few seconds of silence, slowly cracking open an eye to warily watch me.

“Honestly,” I say without hesitation, hoping that this boy knows that, even though I’m a Shifter, it doesn’t mean I’m anything like the assholes who burnt his village.

Although, I can’t say I blame him for hating me.

A whole entire species wiped out all at once, leaving this boy as the last of his kind.

That’s so shitty…

No one deserves to go through that!

Even if he hates me, this boy deserves to be treated with kindness after that horrible tragedy.

Whether he’s a Monster or not, losing an entire village like that, then having to survive these woods is absolute hell.

With a small, friendly smile, I confidently say, “So, how about we make a deal?”

Surprise flashes across his face for a few seconds, but it’s quickly replaced by worry and unease. Those emotions so clearly broadcasted on his dirty face, especially mixed with the creases of pain and discomfort, makes him seem older.

So much older than he should be.

I guess we both know what it’s like to grow up too damn fast.

Fuck, don’t go there, don’t think about it. 

Focus on the boy. 

He needs me right now.

Even though he still hasn’t agreed to listen to my deal, I begin subtly playing with his long, tangled hair and calmly say, “Here’s what I’ve got for you: I’m a healer, and I could heal all your wounds. Once you’re fine again though, you have to promise not to run away, okay? I’ve had so many questions about your species for my whole life, and I really want to ask you them.”

The boy opens and closes his mouth several times, seeming like a fish out of water as he stares at me in total shock and confusion.

He... doesn’t believe me.

He’s probably thinking of all the horrible things I might have planned for him.

How can I make him understand?

I just want to help him…

I just want to make up for the fact that those Shifters, people who bear the same name as me, caused him so much pain.

But what can I do?

I can’t just make him trust me, especially after Dominic hurt him even more than he already was.

Wait…

Is there a way to make him trust me?

He is a Monster, after all. Their powers aren’t clearly defined, but maybe some of what I've heard is true...

Deciding to take a gamble on one of his supposed powers, I gently place my hand on top of his, making sure we have direct skin contact as I whisper with as much conviction as possible, “I promise you that there isn’t a catch to this. I’ve spent my whole life being told to hate people like you, but I want to decide based on facts, not century-long biases. I know we're supposed to be mortal enemies, but I just can’t see you like that, especially while you’re scared and hurt. I really wanna talk to you, just person to person. Can we do that? Will you let me help you so we can talk?”

“Yeah, I’d like to talk,” the boy says with a shy, but still pained smile, his easy agreeance after so much hesitation tells me that I’m right.

He has the power to tell if someone is lying, but only when they touch him.

Hell yeah, I already figured out one of the things he can do!

That’s so cool!

Even though the more rational part of me says to be wary of this boy and whatever powers he might have, all I feel is giddy and excited to finally know something true about these Monsters. 

I’m so excited to learn more about him and his species!

I’ve been denied honest information about them my whole life, simply told that we need to hate them because they started this war.

But how can I just hate someone when they haven't done anything wrong to me or I don’t even know if they’re a real threat?

“Thank you, I’m so excited right now!” I exclaim with a large smile as I scoot a foot closer to his leg, getting ready to heal him now. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life! I got in trouble so many times at school for asking questions about you guys, but now I can finally learn the truth.”

The boy laughs weakly and, even though he’s clearly in pain, I can’t help but smile wider at the soft, charming sound.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I carefully place my hands on opposite sides of the bite wound on his leg, feeling guilty at his sharp hiss of agony.

While closing my eyes, I begin to softly hum, focusing on feeling the power flow from my fingertips and into the boy’s leg, mending bloody and broken skin.

After a few moments, I sense the skin of his leg close over again, leaving no evidence of Dominic’s bite. 

Now that his most pressing wound is healed, I let my focus spread out. After a few seconds of searching, I begin tackling the bite on his left arm from some vicious creature in the woods.

As I continue humming, my hands still firmly pressed to his leg despite working on his arm now, I faintly hear the boy gasp, seeming in awe of my healing.

With a smirk, I continue helping to accelerate his body’s natural healing process, soon causing his arm to fully heal as well, only leaving a few faint scars from the particularly deep teeth imprints.

As I finish healing him, I stop humming, a small, proud smile on my face.

It feels damn good to help someone like that again.

I miss doing this.

I really do.

I wish I could do this more…

I wish I could go back to- fuck!

Don’t think about it!

Don’t think about them!

Don’t remember their kind smiles as they taught me medicine and healing properties… Don’t remember the way they held me as I cried, telling me it’s okay to be scared… Don’t remember the way they tucked me into bed each night, placing kisses on my head...

Oh fuck, I’m remembering! 

I don’t want to remember them!

I can’t afford to remember them.

Okay, okay, I need to focus.

Here and now.

Let's do here and now.

Here: I’m out in the woods, sitting next to this boy and my wolves. 

Now: I need to check on the boy, make sure he isn’t experiencing any negative effects from my healing. Then I’ll help Dominic. 

Having successfully staved off the beginnings of my panic attack, I slowly open my eyes as I continue breathing deeply to calm myself. Right now, I need to make sure this boy is okay, especially since I healed more wounds than I normally would.

Thankfully, he doesn't seem dizzy or nauseous from my healing. Instead, he looks at me with the largest smile I've ever seen on anyone.

Even though his face is still very dirty, his smile is so wonderful. His hazel in his eyes sparkles brightly, the corners of his eyes crinkling in mirth from his gigantic, dazzling smile.

And, although I don’t know this boy, I feel extremely accomplished to draw out such a wonderful smile, the sight of it causing me to smile back widely.

"Okay, that was fucking awesome!" The boy excitedly exclaims, his wariness of me seeming to vanish almost immediately after I healed him. "I feel great right now! Did you even heal my arm too?"

Without caution, the boy quickly tears off the makeshift leaf cast on his arm. Once the leaves are gone, his eyes widen to a comically large size, seeming absolutely shocked to no longer see the bite wound.

As he gingerly pokes the scars on his arm, I can't help but giggle, enjoying this curious and less fearful side of the boy.

While still smiling widely, I happily say, "Yeah, since I was already healing your leg, I decided to work on your arm too. If I had healed your arm sooner, I think it wouldn't have scarred at all, but I tried to minimize the damage as best as I could."

With that magnificent smile still on his face, the boy continues sincerely, "Thank you. I… I have no idea why you're being so nice to me, but I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," I say with a soft smile, deciding that I definitely like this side of the boy a lot more. "I'm Dan, by the way."

"Arin," the boy says with his large smile still in place, easily sitting up and reaching out a hand for me to shake.

While giggling at the unnecessary formalness of the gesture, I shake his hand, elated to see that Arin is initiating contact with me rather than shying away.

Once we stop shaking hands, I glance behind me to Dominic sitting a few feet away, glaring daggers at me, his hurt paw sticking far out in front of him as if to say:  _ Hey, remember me? I got hurt too. _

While rolling my eyes at Dominic’s sassy, human-like nature, I quietly ask, "I need to heal Dominic as well, but I was thinking maybe after that we can take turns asking each other some questions?"

"Yeah, sure," Arin agrees without hesitation, his change in attitude amazing me.

He honestly seems like an entirely different person. I can hardly even believe that this is the same boy I found outside my cave last night, laying in the dirt, moments away from death.

Although, if I had the power to know if someone was telling me the truth, I’d feel way more comfortable with them too.

I hope Arin will stay this way, even after the healing rush of endorphins he's feeling fades. I’d like to get to know this side of him, even beyond his answers to the many questions I have.

I... I think he and I could become friends.

“Great,” I say to Arin with a small smile, once again feeling excited by the idea of finally learning more about Monsters. 

While still smiling faintly, I slowly stand up, suddenly feeling fatigued from healing, then approach Dominic.

As I get closer, he sticks out his injured paw farther and growls lowly at me.

"Oh, shut up, Dom," I whisper fondly as I kneel beside the large, dark gray wolf. "You know I wasn't going to forget about you. I just had to help him first. And besides, if you had just  _ listened  _ to my orders, then you wouldn’t be hurt at all right now."

Dominic just chuffs in response to my words, only a few of which he actually understood, yet he’s still irritated by the whole one-sided conversation. 

Once again, I close my eyes and begin humming. I smile widely as heat builds in my palms before spreading to Dominic's hurt paw, healing the long, but shallow cut from Arin's dagger in only a few seconds.

About a minute later, I slowly open my eyes after I’ve finished healing, a lazy smile spreading onto my face at the rush of happiness and contentment that fills my entire being.

Damn, it feels so good to be this useful and helpful again.

Before I can spiral too far into the past again, I giggle softly at Dominic's rough, sandpaper tongue lapping gently at my hand on his newly healed paw in thanks. 

Yep, it’s official, my wolves are definitely just big puppies at this point.

"Okay, that's gotta be the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Arin suddenly exclaims from somewhere close behind me, his loud, excited voice breaking the companionable silence Dominic and I settled into for several moments.

I turn around slightly, smiling as Arin slowly approaches Dominic and I. Even though he reeks of nervousness, turning the lingering scent of fear coating him even more sour, he still smiles at my healing abilities.

Once Arin is only a few feet away, Dominic growls loudly and menacingly in warning, the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to stand up straight and tall against his skin. 

Upon seeing Dominic’s aggression, Arin stops immediately, fear written clearly on his features and broadcasting in his further-souring scent, turning the sweet aroma from after I healed him gross and bitter.

While turning back to Dominic, I say in a stern tone, "Friend Arin."

Dominic stops growling, but gives me another angry and annoyed huff, seeming forever determined to give me a piece of his mind. Even though he understands my command, and ultimately will obey it, he’ll sure as hell tell me how much he dislikes it. 

Too bad though.

He won't be biting Arin anymore, and that’s final.

He can whine and growl about it all he wants, but it’s not going to happen.

"You can come here now, Arin," I say with a small smile as I turn back to him, hoping this will help ease his fear before it skyrockets into a full-blown panic.

I sigh sadly when I see that he’s frozen in place, now starting to tremble slightly from terror, his eyes becoming glassy from unshed tears.

No, please, don’t look that scared again.

It’s okay.

I promise you, it’s okay.

I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you ever again.

Arin just stares at me, still biting his bottom lip in fear as his hands shake violently at his sides. A few seconds later, the first tear spills from his left eyelid and drips down his cheek, creating its own path through all the dirt and grime covering his face.

“He won’t hurt you,” I whisper with a soft, sincere smile, hoping that my words will be enough to snap him out of his fearful state. “I promise, Arin, I’ll keep you safe.” 

Even though he can’t possibly grasp the full meaning of my promise, my words extending far beyond this instance of Dominic threatening him, Arin slowly starts to calm down.

It takes a few seconds but, with a visibly large and shaky inhale, Arin hesitantly approaches the two of us again. Thankfully, without any more protests from Dominic.

Slowly, Arin sits down beside me, leaving only about a foot of space between us and three feet between him and Dominic.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I grab his shaking right hand, holding it tightly in my left as I whisper, “It really is okay. He knows you’re a friend now, and he won’t be hurting you anymore. And even if he tries, I won’t let him.”

As surprise flashes across his face, gratitude over-taking the absolute terror that previously overran his scent, he gives a jerky nod and shakily says, “Th-Thanks.”

I just squeeze his hand in response, hoping that my words will be enough to calm his fear of Dominic now.

Several minutes later, Arin releases a heavy sigh, his scent starting to even out, losing the bitter tinge of fear. Instead, his scent turns slightly sweet again, seeming to be filled with curiosity.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Dominic," Arin whispers sheepishly after a few more moments of sitting here in silence.

Once he finishes, Arin rubs his left hand against the back of his neck, seeming… embarrassed.

Much to my surprise, Dominic shifts slightly to the left while still laying down, moving closer to Arin now.

I glance at Arin and see that he looks about ready to run for his life, so, while squeezing his hand for reassurance again, I encouragingly say, "Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He knows you apologized."

Sure enough, Dominic begins licking the back of Arin's hand, seeming to apologize as well for hurting him.

"Wow," Arin whispers softly in awe as Dominic continues licking him, his reaction causing me to giggle.

As I release Arin’s hand, instead petting Dominic, I fondly say, "Yeah, Dom here is basically just a large puppy at this point. You can pet him if you want to. He won't bite you anymore." 

With a shy smile, Arin slowly moves his hand to Dominic’s back, gently petting the wolf.

Dominic’s short, stubby tail begins to lazily wag, the sight of it causing me to smile widely.

“I think he likes you,” I say teasingly as I gently nudge Arin’s side with my elbow.

Arin giggles sweetly in response as he continues petting Dominic, the sight of them together filling me with contentedness.

_ Pack. _

As soon as I think of the word, I try to push it away, try to deny the way that word sounds so right in my mind.

My wolves are my pack, but not Arin.

I barely even know him.

I shouldn’t even think shit like that.

But why… do I want it to be true so bad though?

“Thank you, Dan,” Arin suddenly whispers, his words pulling me from my thoughts of my pack. “For everything.”

While smiling sadly, I place a hand on his shoulder and quietly say, “You’re welcome. I truly am sorry for what happened to your people. I’m so ashamed to even share the same species as those dicks. I can’t take back what they did but, if you want, you have a safe place here with me.”

For a few seconds, Arin just stares at me, his eyes steadily becoming glossier, seeming like he’s on the brink of tears.

Suddenly, Arin launches himself at me, the force of his hug sending me sprawling onto the dirt on my back, Arin landing on top of me.

I can’t help but giggle as I hug him back, ignoring the fact that the pebbles and leaves littering the ground dig into my back as he borderline crushes me.

“Sorry, Dan,” Arin murmurs sheepishly, but he doesn’t make an attempt to move, just continues laying partially on top of me, his head resting on my chest.

“My… lungs,” I gasp over-exaggeratedly, a smirk forming as I pretend to start wheezing.

While laughing loudly, Arin slides off my chest, instead laying down on the dirt beside me, wiggling his way underneath my arm so that it’s wrapped around his back.

Even though part of me thinks this is a little weird, especially since I just met Arin, I can’t help but smile as we lay side by side, my arm around his shoulders.

Something about this just feels… right.

Soon, my eyes slowly start to drift shut, exhausted from healing so much at one time and not getting any sleep since Arin’s arrival.

Yeah, maybe I’ll just take a quick nap.

Sure, this ground isn’t the most comfortable, but it’s fine. 

Especially since Arin is laying beside me, his head resting on the inside of my shoulder, arm loosely against my chest, directly over my heart. 

While trying to fight the budding sleepiness tugging at me, I tiredly ask with a smirk, “So... I guess we’re friends now?”

With a bark of surprised laughter, the force of it causing his chest to rumble and vibrate with joy, Arin happily says, “Yeah, we are.”

“Cool,” I mumble with a small, sleepy smile, feeling that same surge of joy when he giggles sweetly.

Steadily, the sound of birds chirping and Arin’s rhythmic breathing beside me lull me to sleep.

“Thank you,” Arin whispers softly, the sound of his voice the last thing I hear before I drift off into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everyone! 
> 
> There we have it, Chapter 5 is done! Thank you all for reading, I had a lot of fun writing this one :D
> 
> It’s been a little over a month since I’ve written anything, literally anything, so I am very happy to be back again and thankful I don’t have writer's block :) I noticed that, ever since that Game Grumps Mario 35 episode addressing fanfiction came out, the GG stories on here have slowed down quite a bit. I want to say I’m glad people are accepting their wishes and that most of us continuing writing are not shipping them. I’m not sure how many people will continue reading my GG works so, to those of you who are, I appreciate you all greatly <3 <3 <3
> 
> Now that school’s done for the next two and a half weeks, it’s writing time!! I’m still going to keep to my not-so-schedule-schedule of posting chapters as I finish them. So, I’ll be seeing you all again sometime soon!
> 
> For those of you reading my other GG work “Secret Friends” I am still working on that one and hope to update it sometime during this winter break. I’ve had Chapter 6 written since October, but I really hate how it turned out, so I’m thinking of scrapping it all and starting over, which will probably take a while. But, even though I’m not updating that one right now, know that it certainly hasn’t been forgotten. In the meantime, you all can enjoy this story! ;)
> 
> Also, did anyone catch my little reference to their playthrough of Doki Doki Literature Club in this chapter? I couldn’t stop smiling as I wrote “Friend Arin” and decided to keep it in. Even though story Dan was saying it, all I could hear is Arin’s Monika voice xD
> 
> Alright, that’ll be all for me on this one. As always, I greatly appreciate each and every one of you reading, leaving kudos, and commenting. Y’all are amazing :D <3
> 
> Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! Here’s to 2021 being a great year for us all!! Take care :) <3 <3 <3
> 
> \- Crimson


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